mecanix

At the age of 38 my life was in decline rather than growing in experience .

I'd been reading the dhammapada especially the lines about the renunciant .

I was turned off by myself letting this external thing control my happiness and quite frankly knew that kind of happiness was a delusion .

I'd got sick of hangovers .

I did'nt want the worry of driving the morning after i'd slipped up and drunk far too much and might have hurt someone .

I used to sweat a lot and i used to have night time damp accidents !

Bestwishes, M

LDT

My body was shutting down. I could feel it. Amongst other things, I Became anorexic.....but of course I thought I looked great ( right ). No one but an alcoholic can understand the pure insanity of vomiting in the morning, and immediately following that, slam a quick shot of whatever beverage was in the house just to " level" things out. .....No one but an alcoholic can understand what it's like to go to a 24 hour grocery store at 4:00 a.m. To " buy breakfast for the kids, because we are out of milk", only to slip a little 4 pack of wine in with the donuts......But no one but a recovering alcoholic ( or those recovering from other substances )can understand the joy and relief that is felt when none of those things happens any longer. Only an alcoholic can understand the freedom and happiness that comes with giving up our addictions and, "becoming real." ('Velveteen Rabbit' )
This is why I quit.

tehmazzyland

living in an existential hell, on the streets, shoplifting cider to survive, sleeping in the bushes in a park...

...referred to rehab by a homeless charity...

...not much choice really.

Thank ****.

FeelingGreat

I was worried about the health consequences although they hadn't started yet.
I was scared that I couldn't moderate even though I wanted to.
I wanted to show my DIL that it was possible to give up a powerful addiction (smoking in her case).

Nonsensical

It was gradual, but I was no longer the man I wanted to be, and rapidly becoming someone that no one could like.

Dejvice

Could not look at myself in the mirror, felt a fake and a fraud, I was putting my wife and son thru hell with my drinking. My life was 100 percent controlled by alcohol and it was not getting any better, just worse. My bloated face, fat stomach, looking like crap feeling like crap, hiding my drinking problem from everybody.....thinking they could not see it. 5 months without a drink a few days ago. Lovin' it loads. Sometimes get an urge to drink but the feeling not to want to go back 'there' is very strong.....mental distance between me and alcohol is getting bigger. My wife is so happy that I have stopped, so seeing her happy is what gets me 'drunk' now. Still have a long way to go, but will get there. But really not being able to look at my self in the mirror out of disgust (after being on a binge the night before) and the hurt I was causing to my family are the two reasons that keep me going and for sure were the motivating reasons to quit.

Moreover, I still think about the disgust and embarrassment and 'ashamedness' and low self esteem I felt. Then I think about how my wife and son felt that they too had to be ashamed and embarrassed that they had a husband and father who spent most / all of his time drinking and on top of that they had to deal with the hurt I caused them....broken promises etc etc. Me, I only had to deal with the low self esteem etc....they had to deal with the hurt and the embarrassment of what I had become, they had to live with hurt and embarrassment, and they did / do not need it.

thanks for letting me get that out

vegibean

I had to, it was that bad.

Abetterway

Came to a point where I had to choose. I could drink. Drink a little bit some days or drink all day and night on others. I could give up my comfort and my alcoholic security blanket and have EVERYTHING else that life had to offer. I could not have both.

This is the best decision I have ever made. Every day I get closer to being the person I want to be. Someone I can feel proud of.

escapist

First time was because of my kids. Second time because my third OWI. Third time because I could barely move. My excercise consisted of brushing my hair and teeth, driving to buy booze, going to work and sitting at my desk drinking, going home drink some more. Needless to say, I was very sick. Lungs full of fluid, diarrhea, vomiting.
I have 3 and half months sober. Never will I go back.

RevivingOphelia

This right here.

Plus deadly hangovers.

Elisabeth888

Because it became a monkey on my back that I wanted to be rid of. All it did was make me miserable. The 30 minutes that it made me feel good was not worth all the anxiety and guilt afterward.

AA and my conscience made drinking a painful experience for me. I could not even get drunk and enjoy it I was so freaked out that I was using AGAIN.

terrazinaa

Have been thinking about it for a few months, usually when I would wake up in the middle of the night at the start of the hangover and think... "I will skip the liquor store tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, then will just drink one can a day... until...something". Then I would wake up, and go get more.
The fight with my husband who completely lost it and told me he can't live like this anymore was the last drop.

quitforme79

A balckout which led to a DUI, suicide attempt and psych hospitilization all in one night of a relapse. Mostly, I didn't want to feel like life wasn't worth living anymore. I am almost 3 months sober and amazed at the positive changes I already feel.

wheresthefun

I literally made a pros and cons list for drinking... the pros column was empty.

Lionhearted1

Gradually alcohol caused me more pain than pleasure. Once the tables turn you either live with the pain or do something about it

karilynn27

a single moment of clarity

DarkDays

Death like hangovers after a night of restless sleep hiding drinks, obsessing about drinking and 30 years of drink related incidents and waste.

Soberiety is simplicity and liberating.

duane1

I was a shell of the person I once was. All I cared about was getting through my work day and other functions so that I could get home and get drunk again. My health was starting to decline rapidly. I was getting gout, weird rashes and started having liver pain. Had a panic attack one night and thought I was dying. Went home and poured out everything I had. Hugged my pillow for a month during recovery. That was 8 months ago. I hope and pray that I never let my guard down and return to that world.

Nonsensical

Amen, Brother, I am with you.

AlisonW

Getting arrested for a DWI finally forced me to stop denying that I have a problem with alcohol, and realize total abstinence is the only way for me to live a happy, sane life. So far I'm loving it!